Special
interest groups are urging Florida legislators to use Amendment
1 dollars to fund water supply development projects that could
further deplete our water resources, to bail out developments
that have neglected their own wastewater infrastructure needs
and to push projects that fuel irresponsible growth in Florida's
vulnerable natural areas. If you haven't already done so,
please
email the Senate Committee on Eveniornmental Preservation and
Conservation.

March 1, 2015: It's nearly spring, but the weather
is still cool-ish and damp. Many of our winter visitors
remain for a few more weeks before heading off for northern
breeding grounds. White Pelicans and Laughing Gulls are
two species in this category. Walt Steiner took
this photo along the northern end of "The
Loop" on Walter Boardman Lane.

Noting the size of the White Pelicans, it is
difficult to imagine how they get off the ground. But they
are spectacular fliers, soaring very high in the sky and
sometimes performing choreographed circles and swoops as a
flock. They are immense birds with a wingspan of
approximately 9 feet, weighing over 16 pounds. The birds
are all white, with black feathers along the entire trailing
edge of the wing. Unlike the coastal Brown Pelican,
American White Pelicans are found far inland, feeding
cooperatively in shallow lakes. They do not dive for fish
like the Brown Pelican but swim on the surface, dipping their
bills into the water to scoop up small fish, salamanders and
crayfish.

Laughing Gulls are seen throughout the year
along the coast of Florida. The loud and long
"ha-ha-ha-ha" call of this well-named gull is one of the most
characteristic sounds of the seashore. Northern birds head
south during the winter, adding their numbers to the year-round
birds found in Volusia County. They are medium-sized
gulls, about 16 inches from bill to tail with 40-inch wingspans.
They weight about 11 ounces. Adult birds have an all black
head, dark gray backs and black wing-tips with small white spots
(mirrors). Their long wing tips project beyond their
all-white tails when standing. In the winter, adults show
limited gray streaking on the back of the head (as seen in the
photo above), but the white eye arcs are visible in all plumages
-- even the dusky brown of juveniles and the mottled gray and
brown of the first-year birds. Laughing Gulls take 2-3
years to attain full adult plumage. Laughing Gulls eat
almost anything, including a sandwich left unattended by an
unsuspecting beach goer. They hunt for food, steal it from
each other or raid garbage cans and discards from fishing boats
and fishermen. They are a coastal species but are also
found very far inland at land fills, plowed fields and parking
lots -- almost anywhere they can snag a free meal.

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